Clear English vs Complex English

When you think about your learning goals, which of these two things is more important for you:

1. I want to learn more vocabulary and more grammar so I can make more complex sentences.

2. I want to be able to express my ideas more clearly.

Keep reading to find out which is best.

Actually, there’s no right or wrong answer here. Or rather, the right answer depends on your current level and on your reasons for learning English.

What’s your current level?
If you’re a beginner or elementary student, maybe you can only use very short sentences and basic words. For you, it’s good to learn more grammar and more vocabulary so that you can make some longer and more complex sentences.

But if you’re working towards an advanced level, more complex isn’t always better. For you, maybe your goal should be more about getting more confident with what you already know, or perhaps you need to work on using more natural English. I don’t know exactly what you need without meeting you but these are some things for you to think about. 

A story
Let me tell you a story. I can't remember who told it to me and I might not have all the details correct but it was something like this.

There was a man who studied English for many years in his own country and reached a high level. Eventually, he felt that he couldn't improve his English any more unless he spent some time in an English-speaking country. So he decided to live in the UK for a few months. However, when he got here, he was really disappointed.

Why? Because he discovered that English people don't use lots of fancy words and complex sentences when they talk to each other. He had expected to hear long, advanced sentences. But most of the time, people just used simple language.

The truth is: sometimes the most natural way to say something is also the simplest.

Exams
I used to teach English in a language school and some of my classes were to help students pass an English exam. If you're preparing for an exam, I encourage you to push yourself to use a wider range of grammar structures and vocabulary in your speaking and writing. This will impress the examiner and help you to get a good score.

At the same time, it's important not to take this too far. If you’re not careful, you’ll make more mistakes and become more difficult to understand, and this will lower your score. And don't forget that natural-sounding English will also be rewarded.

Exam success is about finding the right balance between trying to impress, trying to be natural, and trying to avoid making too many mistakes.

Real-world communication
In real-world situations, your goals change. Here, it's about being clear and effective rather than impressing people with complex sentences.

Nowadays, I often teach people who use English for work. Also, I teach one-to-one so I can give my students exactly the language and advice they need for their particular situations. My clients often ask me, “What's a better way to say …?” Sometimes the answer is a bit boring and disappointing, like it was for the man in my earlier story. Because simple is often the best.

If you are giving a presentation at work, if you're sharing your opinion in a meeting, if you are talking to a client or a customer, or even if you're just sharing a funny story with a colleague over a cup of coffee, this is very different from an exam. In these situations, using clear language is more important than using clever or complicated language.

And it’s not just true for work. If you use English to communicate while travelling or just to chat to international friends, there’s no need to use lots of big words or complicated sentences. 

Conclusion
So if you’ve ever thought, “My English sounds too simple”, maybe that’s not such a bad thing!

And if you’re trying hard to make your writing sound more advanced by choosing longer words or complex grammar, be careful. You don’t want to end up sounding unnatural or not even like the real you.

Clear, simple language often works better in real life because:
* Your listener will understand you more easily, which makes your communication more effective.
* Not everyone needs to keep learning more and more words and grammar rules. Maybe you need to practise using what you already know until it becomes automatic and comfortable.
* You will feel and sound more relaxed and more confident when you stop putting unnecessary pressure on yourself to use difficult language.
* Simple language will often make you sound more natural.

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Do you use English at work?

I’ve created a free PDF download for you: Phrases to sound confident in work meetings

It will give you 12 things to stop saying and 12 phrases to use instead so that you sound more confident. I even explain why it works!

So if you want to sound more confident when you speak English at work, get your free download here:

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